thc&me
Active Member
400W Metal Halide
Bulb Life : 20,000hrs@10hrs/start
Initial Output : 36,000lm
Efficacy : 79lm/watt
Mean Output : 23,500lm@40% of lamp life
CRI : 65
4 X 54W T5HO
Bulb Life : 24,000hrs@10hrs/start
Initial Output : 20,000lm
Efficacy : 85lm/watt
Mean Output : 19,000lm@40% of lamp life
CRI : 82-85
6 X 54W T5HO
Bulb Life : 24,000hrs@10hrs/start
Initial Output : 30,000lm
Efficacy : 85lm/watt
Mean Output : 28,500lm@40% of lamp life
CRI : 82-85
What really struck me about the figures above was how quickly the MH degraded over time. I've heard many people on this site say that T5 systems lack intensity, but I think this comparison clearly shows otherwise. In fact, while it's true that there is a slight decrease in initial lumen production, a 6 bulb (324watt) T5HO fixture clearly begins outproducing a 400w MH bulb in a rather short amount of time. It's also interesting to note that the CRI clearly shows that the fluorescent bulbs produce more usable light for photosynthesis than their HID cousins. Just for their efficiency alone I'm making the switch from MH to a T5 system for vegetation. I'd be interested to know exactly how an HPS stacks up to the above.
Bulb Life : 20,000hrs@10hrs/start
Initial Output : 36,000lm
Efficacy : 79lm/watt
Mean Output : 23,500lm@40% of lamp life
CRI : 65
4 X 54W T5HO
Bulb Life : 24,000hrs@10hrs/start
Initial Output : 20,000lm
Efficacy : 85lm/watt
Mean Output : 19,000lm@40% of lamp life
CRI : 82-85
6 X 54W T5HO
Bulb Life : 24,000hrs@10hrs/start
Initial Output : 30,000lm
Efficacy : 85lm/watt
Mean Output : 28,500lm@40% of lamp life
CRI : 82-85
What really struck me about the figures above was how quickly the MH degraded over time. I've heard many people on this site say that T5 systems lack intensity, but I think this comparison clearly shows otherwise. In fact, while it's true that there is a slight decrease in initial lumen production, a 6 bulb (324watt) T5HO fixture clearly begins outproducing a 400w MH bulb in a rather short amount of time. It's also interesting to note that the CRI clearly shows that the fluorescent bulbs produce more usable light for photosynthesis than their HID cousins. Just for their efficiency alone I'm making the switch from MH to a T5 system for vegetation. I'd be interested to know exactly how an HPS stacks up to the above.